Combine baler



8. RUSSELL Aug. 17, 1943.

COMBINE BALER Original Filed Oct. 15, 1936 2 Sheets-She et l Srmusr Pusan,

ATTORNEY;

S. RUSSELL Aug 17, 1943.

COMBINE BALER I Original Filed Oct. 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 haw ift.

| I it? 1 5 R Y L m w m W H I A 7 Patented Aug. 17, 1943 COIVIBINE BALER Stanley Russell, Racine, Wis., assignor to The Ohio Cultivator Company, Bellevue, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Original application October 15, 1936, Serial No. 105,650. Divided and this application June 10, 1940, Serial No. 339,672

3 Claims.

The present application relates to a combine baler, and more particularly to a baler which shall be so constructed, and which shall operate in such a manner, that it may be automotively driven through a field in which the crop has been previously mowed, or in which the crop has been left standing or partially standing, and will pick up any portions of the crop which have been mowed, will mow any portions of the crop which have been left standing, and will automatically bale the material so picked up and/or mowed, in a continuous manner; automatically dropping blocks or boards into the baling chamber at predetermined intervals for facilitating the wiring of the bales.

This is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 105,650, filed October 15, 936, and it is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. The said copending applicatig lri) matured as Patent No. 2,208,056, July 16, 1

The primary object of my invention is, of course, to provide mechanism of the character above described, capable of carrying out the operations above described; but more specifically, the present application is directed to improvements upon structures which I have heretofore invented and which are disclosed in my Patent No, 2,180,852, granted November 21, 1939. Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an automotive continuous combine baler constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the block dropping mechanism, parts being broken away and/or shown in section for clarity of illustration;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a fragment of the machine; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken in planes perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 3, and showing substantially the same details which are illustrated in Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

it will be seen that I have illustrated an automotive vehicle, indicated generally at l0, and mounted upon traction wheels H and steering wheels l2. The vehicle includes a pick-up reel (not shown) which feeds the material to conveyer [0 (Fig. l) to be fed to the baler. This conveyer carries material to be baled to the mouth or inlet port ll of a baling chamber indicated generally by the reference numeral l8.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the vehicle is provided with the usual engine 19 which drives, through the conventional clutch 20, controlled by the usual pedal 2|, through a standard transmission 22 to a silent chain drive 23. The drive 23 drives a selective speed transmission 24, adapted to be controlled by a lever 25; and transmitting power to a propeller shaft housed in the usual tube 26 and connected to drive the traction wheels ll of the vehicle. Beyond the chain drive 23, the direct drive from the transmission 22 extends through a clutch 2! controlled by a lever 28 to drive a beveled gear 29 connected to drive a sprocket 30 which, through the illustrated chain, drives a sprocket 3| mounted upon a shaft carrying a pair of pinions 32 meshing with a pair of bull gears 33 mounted upon stub axles 34 and 35 (see Fig. 4). A pitman 36 having furcations 31 and 38 mounted at 39 and 40 upon the peripheries of the respective bull gears 33, is connected at its opposite end, as at 4| (see Fig. 3), to a hollow plunger 43 (see Fig. 4). Obviously, rotation of the bull gears 33 will result in reciprocation of the plunger 43.

A standard power take-off 44 is connected to the transmission 24 and is controlled by a lever 45 to drive at will a shaft 48 carrying a sprocket 4! connected by a chain 48 to drive a sprocket 49 mounted on a shaft 50, extending longitudinally of the vehicle. Preferably, the sprocket 49 is connected to the shaft 50 through a riffle clutch.

The shaft 50 carries, near its rear end, a sprocket from which the feed means comprising conveyer l6, drum l4, and rollers 8| and 82 is operated. The details of this feed means form no part of the claimed invention,

The stub axle 35 (see Fig. 4) carries a sprocket 83 which through a chain 84 (see Fig. 1) drives a sprocket (not shown) carried by the input shaft of a selective speed transmission 88. Said transmission 06 drives a pick-up mechanism, the details of which form no part of my claimed invention and which may take any desired conventional form, said pick-up mechanism delivering material to feed conveyor I 6 to be carried to the rolls BI and 82 and thence to the baling chamber I8.

' The stub shaft 35' (see Figs. 1 and 4) carries a disc I23 which operates a pitman I24 carrying at its outer end a sleeve I25 slidably mounted upon a rod I26 which is slidably mounted on the machine frame. Intermediate its ends, the rod I26 carries a stop collar I21 providing an abutment for one end of a spring I28 sleeved on said rod and bearing, at its opposite end, against a wall of the machine, so that the rod I26 is resiliently urged toward the left, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4. To the right of said machine wall, said rod carries a second stop collar I29 which is adapted to be engaged by the sleeve I25, upon movement of the pitman I24 to the right, whereby the rod I26 will be shifted to the right. Preferably, a second small spring I30 is sleeved on said rod I26 between said stop collar I29 and an abutment carried on the machine frame.

The rod I26 carries at its rearward end an element which I have termed a flag I3I which as the rod I26 is moved toward the right will be drawn across the rearward end of the mouth I1 to clear away therefrom wisps of material jammed in that corner of the opening as a result of the shearing action of the knife I32 as the plunger 43 moves past the rearward end of the mouth I1.

The knife I32 is, as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, mounted at the rearward end of the mouth I1 of the baling chamber. At the forward end of th wall of the plunger 43 adjacent the mouth I1 of the baling chamber, said plunger is rabbeted as at I33 for the reception of a shear block I34 which is adjustably secured in place by bolts I35. Said shear block is chamfered, as at I36, so that it may be reversed to bring into cooperative relation with the blade I32 either edge of said block I34. Screws I31 are provided for adjusting the position of said block I34.

Assuming that the plunger 43 is in its retracted position, and that material is being fed into the baling chamber, it will be seen that as the plunger is advanced or moved toward the left as viewed in Fig. 4, there will be a tendency for the plunger to carry material toward the left across the mouth I1 of the baling chamber I8. As the advancing end of the plunger 43 approaches the knife I32, there is a tendency for the materal being carried with the plunger to pil up against said knife; and when the block I34 strikes the knife I32, of course that material is out; leaving a wad of material outside the mouth of the baling chamber and collected at the rearward edge of said mouth. Just as the block I34 begins to pass the blade I32, the sleeve I25 strikes the collar I 29 and begins to shift the rod I26 toward the right, carrying the flag I3I likewise toward the right to engage that wad of material to shift it toward the middle of the mouth I1; whereby stacking of material at the knife end of the mouth I1 is prevented. As the plunger 43 starts back, the sleeve I25 is moved toward the left, and the springs I28 and I30 shift the flag I3I toward the left out of the path of advancing material.

The lateral dimension of the plunger 43 is somewhat less than the lateral dimension of the baling chamber I8, to permit the passage of air forwardly around the plunger as the plunger moves toward the left to compress the material within the baling chamber. In order to maintain a proper bearing of the plunger and block I34 against the adjacent wall of the baling chamher there are provided two pairs of rollers, each pair consisting of two vertically spaced rollers, the uppermost Ones of which are indicated by numerals I38 and I39 (see Fig. 4) projecting through the wall of the plunger 43 and bearing against the adjacent wall of the baling chamber.

In order to hold the baled material against any tendency to expand toward the right upon withdrawal of the plunger 43, I provide a plurality of dogs I 45 having fingers I46 projectible through openings I41 in a side wall of the baling chamber. Said dogs are so formed as to be moved outwardly out of the path of advancing material by advancing movement of the material; but they are pivoted as at I48 and are urged toward projection into the baling chamber by springs I49 bearing against brackets I50. I provide also a pair of similar dogs I5I (see Fig. 2) having fingers I52 projectible into the baling chamber, and similarly formed. Said dogs I5I are pivoted as at I53 and are urged toward projection into the baling chamber by springs I54 bearing against abutments I55. The dogs I45 are mounted on a side wall of the baling chamber, while the dogs I5I are mounted on the top wall thereof; and preferably there are also provided a pair of dogs (not shown) similar to the dogs I45, on the bottom wall of the baling chamber.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I provide a chute I56 leading from a point adjacent the rear end of the baling chamber I8 to a point immediately in advance of the dogs I45 and I5I. As a. bale is discharged from the baling chamber I8, its spacer block is likewise discharged, and is picked up by an attendant and dropped into the chute I56. It slides down that chute until (if there is no other block in the chute) it strikes the wall I51, the angle of the chute I56 and the spacing of the wall I51 therefrom being such as to hold the block against dropping into the passage defined by said wall and through the opening I58 into the baling chamber. The lower end of the chute I56 is formed by a platform I59 mounted at its lower end upon a rock shaft I60 and adapted to be tilted into the dotted line position of Fig. 2 to permit a block (see I90 of Fig. 3) to slide into the passage defined by the wall I51. On its lower surface, the platform I59 carries a depending latch bracket I6I with which cooperates a latch I62 pivoted at I 63 and urged into engaging position by a spring I 64. As long as the latch I62 is engaged with the latch bracket I6I, the platform I59 cannot be tilted into blockdropping position.

The top wall I 99 of the baling chamber extension carries a pair of brackets I65 in which is journaled a rock shaft I66 carrying an arm I61. A spring I68 sleeved on a post I69 urges said arm I61 downwardly under a tension variable by adjustment of the nut I10. Said arm I61 carries journal mountings for a shaft I1I upon which are fixed a pair of toothed wheels I12 which are adapted to project through slots I15 in the wall I99 into driving engagement with the baled material advancing through said baling chamber extension. The tension of the spring I68 being suitably adjusted, it will be obvious that the wheels I12 will be rotated, by movement of baled material through the baling chamber extension at a rate directly proportional to the rate of o ement of material through said extension. A yoke I13 has its furoations respectively pivoted, as at I14, upon the respective wheels I12; and said yoke is connected to a rod I16 which is provided with a finger I11 engageable with the lower end of the latch member I 62. It will be obvious that, as the wheels I12 rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, the unit I13, I16 will be moved toward the left to swing the latch member I 62 in a clockwise direction to disengage the same from the latch bracket I6I. When the unit I13, I16 reaches the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the finger I11 has dropped to a position such that, as the wheels I12 continue to rotate in a clockwise direction, the finger will be shifted toward the right and upwardly to engage again the lower end of the latch member I62.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 3, the fiag I3I carries a slidable strap I18 to the rearward end of which is pivoted, as at I19, a tube I80 receiving a compression spring I84. Said tube is provided with diametrically opposed slots I65; and receives a rod I86 provided with a pin I81 received in the slots I85. The upper end of the rod I86 is pivoted, as at I88, to a lever I89 carried on the rock shaft I60. Obviously, as the rod I26 is moved toward the right, the tube I80 is likewise moved toward the right, placing the spring I84 under tension and tending to move the lever I89 and the rock shaft I60 in a clockwise direction to tilt the platform I59 toward the dotted line position of Fig. 2. If the latch I62 is at that time engaged with the latch bracket I6I, the door obviously cannot be tilted, and the movement of the strap I18 and tube I80 is absorbed by the spring I84. However, since this movement of the strap I18 toward the right and then toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, occurs with every rotation of the bull gears 33, it will be obvious that, when the wheels I12 have been rotated to such a position as to release the latch member I62 from the latch bracket I6I, the next movement of the strap I18 toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, will tilt the platform I59 into the dotted line position of Fig. 2 to cause the block I90 to drop through the port I58 into the baling chamber. This operation will occur at a moment when the plunger 43 is in its rearmost position, so that the block will fall onto the top wall of said plunger. As the plunger is then retracted, the block will drop into the baling chamber between the dogs I45 and II and the dogs I9I which are mounted upon leaf springs I92, suitably secured to the outer wall of the baling chamber by bolts I93, or the like, and which project into the baling chamber in such position as to prevent the block from toppling out of its substantially vertical position. The next reciprocation of the plunger 43 toward the left will bring the parts into a position slightly beyond that illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 4, so that the dogs I45 and I5I will, upon retraction of the plunger, drop into position to hold the block I90 against retrograde movement.

In case an unnecessarily large number of boards are to be used, I have provided an arm I94 having a tooth I95 adapted to be projected through a slot I96 in the floor of the chute I56 QCCIILIE HUUHI to hold additional boards against sliding under the platform I59 when the same is in the dotted line position of Fig. 2. In most instances, however, this element will not be needed; and therefore I have provided a bracket I91 adapted to receive a pin I98 to hold the element I94 in inoperative position, as is illustrated in Fig, i.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend as within my invention such modifications and improvements as come within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a baling apparatus having a movable support for dropping boards, and latch means for releasing said support, control means for said latch means comprising a wall of a bale chamber having an opening therein, a bracket adjacent said opening, a support pivoted on the bracket and positioned above the opening, a toothed wheel mounted on the support and rotatable within the opening, means secured to said wall for slidably mounting the support with reference to said wall, means mounted on the first-named means for adjusting the position of the support with respect to said wall, and means secured to the toothed wheel adapted to operate the latch.

2. In a baling apparatus having a movable support for dropping boards, and latch means for releasing said support, control means for said latch means comprising a wall of a bale chamber having an opening therein, a toothed wheel projecting through said opening and having a rotatable crank adapted to be rotated by the longitudinal movement of the material being baled as it passes through the bale chamber, said wheel being adjustably and resiliently mounted on the wall of said chamber, and a rod positively connected to said crank for effecting the operation of the latch.

3. In a baling apparatus having a movable support for dropping boards and latch means for releasing said support, control means for said latch means comprising a wall of a bale chamber having an opening therein, a rotatable toothed wheel extending through said opening and adapted to bite into the material in the bale chamber as it moves through said chamber, a crank on said wheel and a rod positively connected with said crank and adapted to operate the latch, and means for resiliently mounting said toothed wheel on the wall of said chamber, said means including an arm swingably supported from said wall to permit adjustment of its free end toward and away from said wall and a spring urged mechanism for determining the position of the arm with respect to the wall of said chamber and thereby determining the position of the crank with respect to the material as it passes through said chamber.

STANLEY RUSSELL. 

